[ GLOSSARY ]
What is a reasoning model?
Definition
AI conceptsReasoning model
A reasoning model generates intermediate steps of "thinking" before its final answer, which usually improves hard, multi-step answers.
Why it matters for schools
Reasoning has a price: providers bill reasoning tokens as output, and output is never cached, so reasoning can multiply the cost of each answer. In our own cost model, moving reasoning from none to high nearly quadrupled the cost of a mixed setup of models.
In Nexus
In Nexus, teachers reviewing class chats see the student's question and the final answer, not the model's hidden reasoning.
[ FAQ ]
Questions and answers
What is a reasoning model?
A model that works through intermediate steps before answering, which helps on multi-step problems.
Do reasoning models cost more?
Usually. Reasoning tokens are billed as output, and output is never cached.
Can teachers see an AI's reasoning?
In Nexus, teachers see the question and the final answer, not hidden reasoning.
[ SOURCES ]
Sources
Facts checked Oct 18, 2026.
- 1OpenAI, reasoning models guideRead Oct 18, 2026 · developers.openai.com
[ AI FOR SCHOOLS ]
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